I do not personally use excluders but a NZ Westcoast beekeeper uses single brood nest exclusively and he will raise a couple of frames of capped brood above the excluder to get the bees used to going through it when the first super is put on.  This also eleviates crowding and the swarming impulse.   That band of honey as already mentioned is critical as to whether the bees will go through the excluder or make swarm preparations.  Some uncap it to keep the bees moving up. 
Frank LindsayNew Zealand 		 	   		  
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